The present invention relates to a display element comprising a plurality of light chambers arranged alongside one another and each having a light barrier to the respectively adjacent light chamber. Moreover, the invention relates to a display instrument and a vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a display method.
The display element can be used for example for a fuel level indicator, for a speedometer or for a tachometer. The display element can be a part of an instrument cluster.
US 2012/014092 A1 describes a light guide plate having a plurality of prism-shaped cutouts in which light-emitting diodes are arranged.
JP 2004 354455 A discloses chambers having light-reflecting side walls. The side walls belong to a housing part composed of white plastic.
JP 2002 365096 A describes convex reflection surfaces arranged between light sources.
US 2010/232138 A1 describes a light guide plate having grooves in which light sources are arranged. In order to generate softer light in the light guide plate, an optical structure is fitted in each case at a groove side, said optical structure including for example of fine points which reflect and refract light.
DE 196 22 900 A1 describes a display element comprising a plurality of photoconductor parts arranged alongside one another, at each of which a reflection film is arranged either at a right or left mounting surface of the photoconductor parts.
DE 196 06 245 B4 proposes a display instrument comprising light chambers which can be actuated separately and the partitions of which are embodied as optical waveguides.
This known display technology has the disadvantage that this type of bar representation (bar graph representation) imparts to the user a rough and/or smudged and thus outdated impression. This is because the bar region currently illuminated in each case is not represented in an uninterrupted fashion on account of the partitions between the light chambers. On account of the presently customary high resolution of pictorial representations on computer screens and smartphones, users' expectations have also risen with respect to an optical exactness of other types of electronic displays.